Intermodal container transport is currently a cross-modal undertaking, handled by ship, railroad, truck, and to a lesser extent, by barge on inland waterway systems. Each mode has advantages and disadvantages in the handling of containers.
Railroads excel in the movement of material over long distances. The economic radius of intermodal freight via railroads is considered to fall outside a 500 mile range. They are characterized by low cost over these extreme distances and have the added benefit of low environmental impact from emissions when compared to trucking. The disadvantages of railroads include the lack of speed in transporting commodities and a distinct lack of flexibility when compared to trucking. For example, there is no door-to-door service. Railroads have lost market share to trucks and are completely dominated in the intercity, short haul market.
Trucks dominate freight transportation, particularly in the intercity corridors served by many interstate highway systems. Trucks have historically offered a fast, flexible means of moving goods from one location to another. Increasingly, however, trucks are creating significant disadvantages in the form of highway safety issues, pavement damage, highway congestion, and diminished air quality.